Schell's vs. Summit Oktoberfest beers

Raise your (liter) mug! Between the soft pretzels and the schweinshaxe, we've been drinking a lot of Oktoberfest this fall. Trouble is, without sipping 'em side by side, we can never remember which ones we like better.

The Hot Dish pitted two local brewers' versions of the seasonal German beer against each other to see how they fared, and to figure out what we'll be drinking next year:

Schell's Oktoberfest
Both beers have an Oktoberfest's signature coppery color and a fairly similar flavor profile featuring caramel hits and a slight bite of hops. The Schell's struck us as a smooth, almost-sessionable option.

Summit Oktoberfest
The Summit had a more intense character and stronger grain-like flavors. It also seemed a little sweeter than the Schell's.

The Winner: Schell's Oktoberfest
We preferred the flavor of Schell's. Plus, Oktoberfest is all about drinking in quantity, so after we found out that the Summit has a whopping 7.40% ABV, we'd recommend sticking with the easier-drinking 5.5% ABV Schell's.